Verdeia subchelata ( Schellenberg, 1925 )

Published, First, 2007, A revision of the tropical / temperate amphipod genus Dulichiella Stout, 1912, and the description of a new Atlantic genus Verdeia gen. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Melitidae), Zootaxa 1424, pp. 1-62 : 55-57

Verdeia subchelata ( Schellenberg, 1925)

( Figs 41–44)

Melita fresnelii var. subchelata Schellenberg, 1925: 153 .

Melita subchelata . –K.H. Barnard, 1932: 211, fig. 130. –J.L Barnard, 1962: 109 (key). – Griffiths, 1975: 134. – Griffiths, 1976: 46, fig. 25f. – Barnard & Barnard, 1983: 666.

Type material. Lectotype male, ZMB 20687. There were apparently originally four female syntypes, 5.5 to 5.8 mm, in the original type series. They were collected by the Michaelson of the Zoological Museum, Hamburg. No material is now lodged in the Zoological Museum, Hamburg and the only apparent specimen remaining in the Zoological Museum, Berlin, is the designated lectotype.

Type locality. Lüderitz , Namibia, eastern South Atlantic Ocean, 0 to 10 m depth .

Additional material examined. 1 male, 5.1 mm, 1 female, 7.8 mm, SAM A13565 (33º05'S 17’53'E), 78 m (dredge) UCT Ecological Survey, 5 May 1960, stn WCD 52 F. 4 specimens, SAM A18990 (22º53.5'S 14º27'E), 14 m (grab) UCT Ecological Survey, 9 September 1963, stn SWD 61 F.

Description. Based on 1 male, 5.1 mm, 1 female, 7.8 mm, SAM A13565. Body small. Head eyes round; lateral cephalic lobe broad, rounded, apically rounded, anteroventral corner subquadrate. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 shorter than article 2, with 4 or more robust setae along posterior margin. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 subequal to article 5. Mandibular palp article 1 about as long as broad, inner margin article 1 not produced distally; article 2 subequal to article 3.

Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner not produced, anterior margin straight, not produced, posteroventral corner notch absent; carpus longer than propodus (slightly); propodus "stout", palm straight, palm defined by posterodistal corner, palm with posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; (larger) propodus palm with 2 broad spines, straight, posterodistal corner produced, straight, posterodistal corner dactylus fitting into corner; dactylus apically hooked; (smaller) merus with sharp posteroventral spine; palm straight, lined with robust setae. Pereopod 5 dactylar unguis anterior margin without accessory spines. Pereopod 6 basis posterior margin straight; dactylar unguis anterior margin without accessory spines. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin convex.

Pleonite/urosomite dorsal spine formula (11-11-13-5-5-2). Pleonites 1–3 without dorsal setae. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner with small acute or subacute spine. Epimeron 2 posteroventral corner produced, acute. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner strongly produced, acute; posteroventral margin serrate distally. Urosomite 1 with 5 or 7 dorsal spines. Urosomite 2 with two groups of 1–3 small dorsolateral robust setae. Urosomite 3 without dorsal setae. Uropod 3 outer ramus long, about 2 x peduncle. Telson with dorsal robust setae.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Head lateral cephalic lobe broad, truncated. Gnathopod 1 propodus palm with posterodistal robust setae. Epimeron 2 posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate.

Habitat. Marine epibenthic.

Remarks. Schellenberg (1925) did not illustrate Verdeia subchelata . K.H. Barnard (1932), the first reviewer, illustrated an enlarged male gnathopod 2 and showed that this was a distinct species, but the figures here are the first complete illustrations of the species. Based on gnathopod 2, this species appears to be most closely related to D. grandimana from the Cape Verde Islands. The main differences are that D. grandimana has 3 spines on the palm of male gnathopod 2 and D. subchelata has 2 spines.

Distribution. Namibia: Lüderitz ( Schellenberg, 1925); Walvis Bay (K.H. Barnard, 1932); Saldanha Bay ( Griffiths, 1975).